This story was reported in collaboration with independent media outlet Belly of the Beast.
A deportation flight carrying 150 Cuban detainees landed Thursday at Havana’s José Martà International Airport, offering a rare glimpse into the emotional toll of the process.
At first glance, the flight looked like any other from the United States to Cuba. But on board, passengers were handcuffed, many in tears, while others described a sense of relief that their time in U.S. detention was finally over.
A crew from Belly of the Beast captured images of detainees stepping off the plane after their handcuffs were removed inside. Soon after, stories of family separation emerged.Â
One woman said she was forcibly separated from her American-born 2-year-old daughter: “They mistreated me, they forced me to leave my daughter with her grandmother. My daughter is American, and they said she couldn’t leave the country,” the woman said in Spanish.Â
A man said he was detained by U.S. authorities three months ago.
“It wasn’t my fault, not my fault,” he said.Â
Another woman said she was separated from her son and two grandchildren: “I am still processing this.”
U.S.-Cuba agreements still in place
Once back in Cuba, detainees were interviewed by customs agents and screened by government health officials.Â
The Cuban government said it has received eight deportation flights this year and 29 in total under three agreements signed with the U.S. during the Reagan, Clinton and Obama administrations. Those agreements, the government noted, were intended to ensure a “safe, regular and orderly” flow of migration between the two countries.
As the deportees prepared to settle into the country many had fled, some spoke of the uncertainty ahead.Â
“I don’t plan to work. I only want my daughter. If the United States doesn’t give me my daughter, I would return to risk my life again,” one man said,
The Cuban government emphasized it will continue accepting deportees under its agreements with the United States.
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